WCTD Killamanjaro sessions

KILLAMANJARO, THE NO.1 CHAMPION SOUND

For more than forty years now Noel Harper’s mighty Killamanjaro sound system has been a leading light in the dancehall world. The sound was started by Papa Jaro in 1969 and it’s name is derived from Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, and throughout their history they have constantly scaled great heights both in Jamaica and worldwide.

As Killamanjaro’s set grew in size and popularity they started to recruit deejays with O Lord being their first resident professional mic man. As the seventies made way for the eighties so Killamanjaro marched onwards and upwards. A major plus for the sound occurred when Mr Harper recruited Ainsley Grey as main selector. Sadly we have yet to hear a full Jaro session dated earlier than 1982 but a typical dance around 1982/83 would feature such luminaries as Jim Kelly, the apprentice of O Lord, who by this time had flourished into a great chatter and the sets number one deejay. Other deejays on the scene at this time were veteran Lone Ranger (b. Anthony Waldron), Buro Banton (b. Donovan Spalding), who had two separate stints with the sound, Danny Dread and Dirty Harry. In addition John Wayne (b. Norval Headley) and Papa Tullo aka Tullo T (b. E.Crawford), who were previously on Studio Mix sound, could often be heard at Jaro dances.

As well as the deejays Killamanjaro also promoted singers around the set. Long time dancehall fixture Puddy Roots (b. Junior Smith), who had started out as a deejay Puddy Lion on the Arrows sound in the mid to late seventies, morphed into a singer who would appear on many of Killamanjaro’s crucial sessions in the early eighties. He would also be joined by U.U. Madoo, a singer with a voice almost indistinguishable to his older brother Madoo. These singers along with others like the sweet voiced Hopeton James and the “original” Thriller were always there to provide an alternative vocal refrain.

Tragedy struck the Killamanjaro camp midway through 1983 when Jim Kelly was killed, yet another victim of the violence that permanently haunts Jamaican society. In time though the void was filled by, not one, but two top notch deejays Super Cat (b. William Marragh) and Early B (b. Earlando Neil). These sparring partners had been plying their trade away from Kingston on St Thomas’ King Majesty sound but they now took up residency on Killamanjaro, now one of the islands top sounds. From 1983 to 1985 Killamanjaro were near untouchable, especially when the “Doctor” and Super Cat were firing on all cylinders. New additions to the Killamanjaro family included Little Twitch, (b. Richard Wright) who’d started out at King Sturgav, and later Super Cat’s younger brother Junior Cat (b. Wayne Marragh).

Midway through 1985 it was all change again for Killamanjaro. Skeng Don was assembling his Sturmars set and he managed to lure Super Cat, Buro Banton and selector Ainsley to his “supersound”. Early B remained in the fold, and so did Junior Cat and Dirty Harry, and over the next few years they continued to remain a “live artist” force. Patcheye took over the role of chief selector. About a year after this Jeremy Lee took over as selector and Killamanjaro were now being spearheaded by the emerging rudebwoy talent of Ninjaman (b. Desmond Ballentine), armed with his unique quick-fire “labbrish” style. In another move, they then added the experienced King Sturgav deejay Charlie Chaplin (b. Patrick Bennett) to their ranks.

Killamanjaro continued to promote “live artists” on their set in the late eighties, even though times were changing in the dancehall. New regulars on the set included deejays German, Ironman, Daddy Shark, Supervisor (b. Augustus Sutherland), Hammermouth (b. Patrick Wedderburn) and musician Bugleboy. Perhaps the most important newcomer in the late 80’s was Ricky Trooper (b. Garfield McKoy) who joined as a deejay. He had been working as a deejay on the Creation sound as Screechy Trooper, but prior to that he’d been a selector from a very young age on sounds like Coptic, Volume One and Ultimate Touch.

Their aggressive soundbwoy attitude won them many soundclashes but gradually the dancehall business changed as the juggling style took over and the dancehall performers became obsolete almost overnight. But Killamanjaro flourished in the sound war era with Ricky Trooper, who’d taken over from Jeremy Lee and by now one of the greatest selectors/MC’s ever, leading them to many victories over the other top rated sounds from all around the world. In 2000 Ricky Trooper branched out on his own, as Sound Trooper, leaving Freddy Kruger (b. Paul Francis) fronting Jaro until he left in 2004. Things continued with Hype, Crazy D, Genius and Danny, who is also an engineer at the Killamanjaro Dub Store studio which cuts dubplates for sound systems. Freddy Kruger is now back on Killamanjaro along with DJ Tarick.

It’s now forty years on since Mr Harper built his sound and they are still a major sound system. For us though, the 1983-85 era is seen as the classic Jaro years, a time when the Killamanjaro sound well and truly ruled the dancehall.

WCTD MEETS NOEL 'PAPA JARO' HARPER

WCTD: Greetings Mr Harper, can you tell us of your earliest dancehall memories?

NH: My earliest dancehall memories started in the early 60's. On public holidays I was allowed to go to fairs at the community centre with my older siblings. I was only interested in the music and the sound system. Later on my neighbour bought a sound system. Every time they set up I would go by them. In the mid 60's my brother built a sound system, and I was very excited about it. After operating for awhile, he migrated to the UK, and it was left with my father. At this stage I was really getting attached to the sound system. My father operated it for a while and then sold it. I made a promise that I would build my own sound system when I graduated from high school.

WCTD: What year was this? Was it always called Killamanjaro?

NH: I started my sound system summer 1969. I thought about several names and settled with Kilimanjaro, but it was later changed to Killamanjaro.

WCTD: What area in Kingston does Jaro sound hail from?

NH: We are based at 1 Whitehall Ave, Kingston 8. This is where our office is located.

WCTD: What did the sound equipment consist of in the beginning?

NH: I started it with a Sony integrated 90 watt amplifier, and twelve inch speakers and Garrard turntable.

WCTD: Can you tell us how the set progressed from those earliest days and on into the seventies?

NH: Immediately after I started, I got a lot of encouragements from friends, so I acquired 2 eighteen inch speakers and a Sansui BA3000 power amplifier. The response was so good that I had to continue building the sound system. I later added 2 more 18's, then I got a Sansui BA5000. Previously I was using single 18's. At this stage I started to build double 18's. At this stage the sound had 4 double 18's. I did not stop, I kept building and building until I had 8 double 18's and 4 Sansui BA5000. We operated with 8 double 18's for a long time, until we increased to 12 double 18's.

WCTD: Can you remember who was the first deejay to appear on your sound? When was this?

NH: The first Deejay was "O Lord" in the 70’s

WCTD: Were there any other deejays alongside O Lord in the early days?

NH: Yes, we had guys like, General Rat, Natty Paul, Calico & Lincoln who would pass through.

WCTD: At what point in the seventies did Jaro start attracting the big name deejays.

NH: The sound system started to attract deejays from the early 70's, but it was in the late 70's that the more prominent ones started to appear.

WCTD: How did Jim Kelly come to Jaro?

NH: O Lord was the first professional Deejay that was on the sound. He was the one that brought Jim Kelly to the sound. At first I was not impressed with Jim Kelly, but he progressed rapidly. He took his work seriously and was very aggressive with the mic. He was loved by many.

WCTD: Did you have any favourite artists yourself?

NH: Everyone had different styles, some I liked and others I did not care about, but they all had their fans. I had to work with everyone, so I avoided a favourite.

WCTD: Can you tell us a little about Ainsley & how he came to select the sound?

NH: As you know I had a regular 9 - 5 job and during the early 80's I needed some help with the operation of the sound. I had a friend by the name of Ted who told me about Ainsley. At that time Ainsley played a little sound system in Skateland, and he also worked at Aquarius record shop in Half Way Tree. I arranged to meet with him, and the rest is history.

WCTD: In the days of sound clashing against other sounds with “live” artists, was it friendly rivalry or did things sometimes get out of hand?

NH: In those days sound clashes was friendly rivalry, and once in awhile thing may get a little out of hand, but it was easier to resolve in those days.

WCTD: What was the first significant clash that Jaro was involved in?

NH: The Skateland clash with Studio Mix was important because Studio Mix was killing a lot of sounds and they thought no one could kill them

WCTD: The other really significant clash's that spring to our minds are the 2 in 1984 vs Gemini and then later on in the year vs Volcano. Can you recall the story behind them and what are your thoughts on the outcome of them.

NH: I do not remember much about the Gemini clash except that we won it, but the Volcano clash was exciting. At that time Volcano had a big hype, it was doing very well, and the owner Junjo Lawes was a leading record producer with many of the top artists in his camp. The clash was held on Maxfield Ave, and it was a very big dance, at one stage Volcano was leading, and then we took the lead, and eventually won the clash.

WCTD: Throughout all the time you’ve been involved with Killamanjaro which has been your favourite era and why?

NH: Throughout all the time with the sound, my favourite era was the live deejay era. The sound started during this time and it was like a stage show.

WCTD: Do you think that the days when deejays and singers learned and performed live on a set, will ever return?

NH: No, the culture has evolved, and I do not believe those days will return.

We would like to thank Mr Harper for all the help he has given us in getting all of this together, thanks Boss we really appreciate it.

Killamanjaro @ Skateland, Half Way Tree Road, Kingston 5, August 1982

Featuring: Jim Kelly, Danny Culture, Danny Dread, General Plough, Mr Cutter, Chakademus

Selector – Ainsley

“Dating from August of 1982 this Skateland recording captures Killamanjaro on the rise. Jaro have been busy cutting specials galore and number one selector Ainsley lets loose cuts from Sammy Dread and Don Carlos. Jim Kelly has developed into a fine deejay and here he shows his microphone skills on numerous pieces like “Common People”, “River Connection” and the cultural “Jah Have Mercy”. Danny Dread is another mic man that has followed the Brigadier Jerry school of deejaying and good he is too. Here he urges the masses to “Keep On Coming In A Dance” on the “Throw Me Corn” nugget. General Plough is given his opportunity and he doesn’t disappoint when singing “Rock With Me” on the Studio One “Real Rock” and a cover of “Captain Selassie I”. This is the Killamanjaro Posse rocking in a dancehall style.”